Hudson River Park Buildings, Pier 25 and 26

The Hudson River Park is a major waterfront park currently being developed along five miles of Manhattan’s West side. WXY has designed three buildings for Segment #3, located alongside the Tribeca neighborhood, a district of formerly industrial buildings converted by artists into live-work lofts. This ribbon of parkland reunites residents and visitors with the natural and historic resources of the riverfront. WXY’s group of hybrid buildings articulates the new uses of this segment of the Park: miniature golf and snack bar with the Dock Master’s office, a boathouse and restaurant, and a skateboarding facility with comfort station.

The designs draw on the local vocabulary of robust marine structures and reinterpret the pragmatic nature of utility building with sculptural gesture. Angling roof lines and 3-dimensional signs animate the composition. The buildings are zinc clad and equipped with broad overhangs for shade and shelter. Glimpses of hard-wearing glazed brick at their bases and openings punctuate their components with vivid color.